[edward1987]

What changed?

Native Windows could reject private relay storage because Node reports synthetic Unix mode bits, execute POSIX gate/formatter syntax through cmd.exe, and flash console windows on every background-view refresh.

• Validate NTFS ownership/DACLs and private parent directories before credential writes, retaining existing fail-closed checks.
• Use Git for Windows Bash for POSIX command strings and hide console child windows while preserving native launch guards, callbacks, errors and promisification.
• Preserve process provenance in source maps and browser admission, with Windows and cross-platform regressions.

No new dependencies.

Linked issue

No linked issue; reproduced on native Windows with Pullboard 0.9.3.

Which approved spec rows does this serve?

A8 (cross-platform gate aim). This is a partial portability repair: timed shells, process-group cleanup and the complete Windows gate remain follow-up work.

How was it proven?

• Native Windows: node --test test/windows-storage.test.js test/windows-processes.test.js — 15 passed, 0 skipped.
• Full Linux gate not completed for this draft; the contributor requested publishing the Windows fixes without waiting for it. No Linux gate pass is claimed.
• Independent static review covered NTFS handling, guard bindings and source-analysis integration.
• Original Windows bootstrap/Git regressions failed before the compatibility fixes; no existing test was removed or weakened.

Contribution checks

• DCO sign-off by the contributor.
• Contributor personally completes the CLA if required.

Kept as draft for maintainer review. No legal acknowledgment was made automatically.